India’s tour to New Zealand have always been an eventful affair for the visitors. Right from the first tour to the island nation in 1967-68, the country has always held a special place in the annuls of India’s cricket history.
And why not. Some of the most cherished moments in the country’s cricketing history was right here in New Zealand.
Normally a bowler’s paradise, early New Zealand tours were a delight for Indian spinners – especially the legendary trio of Erapalli Prasanna, Bishen Singh Bedi and BS Chandrasekhar. In the recent past, the batsmen have also started making their mark in the country.
As India embark on their month-long tour to New Zealand, comprising 5 T20Is, 3 ODIs and 2 Tests, here’s a look at Team India’s best moments from their tour to New Zealand in the past.
First Overseas Test Win
1st Test, Dunedin, 15–20 February 1968
One of the landmark tours in India's cricketing history, India travelling to New Zealand in 1968-69, was historic for many reasons. It started with the first Test itself in Dunedin. After winning the toss, the hosts decided to bat. They finished with 350 on Day 2 of the Test, with opener Graham Dowling (143) doing bulk of the scoring. India, being led by the talisman Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, did well to take a minute lead of 9 runs in their first innings.
New Zealand's 2nd innings was all about one person - Erapalli Prasanna. The off spinner made good use of a Day 3 wicket, which was giving enough assistance to the spinners. He accounted for six Kiwi wickets as the side was bundled for 208. On the penultimate day of the Test, Ajit Wadekar (71) and Rusi Surti (44) spearheaded a tricky chase with a 103-run stand. And by fifth day morning Indian cricket team had won their first-ever overseas Test match.
Maiden Series Win Outside India
4th Test, Auckland, 7–12 March 1968
After the landmark win in Dunedin, India went onto to lose a Test and then win a Test in Christchurch and Wellington respectively. Going into the fourth and final match of the series in Auckland, MAK Pataudi and his boys knew history beckoned them. Till then India hadn't won a Test series away from home.
India were in total control of the Test match right from the first day. And for the umpteenth time in the series, the spinners once again led from the front. Prasanna finished with 8 wickets while Bishen Singh Bedi ended up taking 5 wickets in the Test match as New Zealand were bowled out for 140 and 101 all-out in their first and second innings respectively. Prasanna ended the series with 24 wickets from 4 Tests while Bedi finished behind with 16 wickets.
A smart declaration from skipper Pataudi on the final day and it was a red-letter day for Indian cricket in Auckland. India finally registered their first overseas Test series win.
Best Overseas Bowling Figure in an Innings by Indian
1st Test, Auckland, 24–28 January 1976
After the success story of India’s maiden tour to New Zealand in 1967-68, the Indian side once again visited the island nation in 1975-76.
But the gap of eight years hardly made any difference for the side. It looked as if that they resumed exactly from where they had left it off during the landmark tour. India won the first Test by a convincing margin of 8 wickets and once again the win was orchestrated by Indian spinners.
BS Chandrasekhar had replaced Bishen Singh Bedi on the wicket takers list but Erapalli Prasanna remained the common factor. Like the side he too seemed too start off from where he left last time.
Prasanna finished the match with 11 wickets. His figure of 8/76 continues to be the best bowling figure in an innings by an Indian outside India. He singlehandedly destroyed the New Zealand top-order – dismissing the likes of John Morrison, skipper Glen Turner, Bevan Congdon, John Parker and Brian Hastings. Prasanna later came back to clean up the tail as well.
Unfortunately, after that win in Auckland, India had to wait for 33 years to register their next Test win in the country.
Sachin Tendulkar Makes His Debut as an Opener
2nd ODI, Auckland, 27 March 1994
Like 1968, this was also the beginning of an incredible journey for Team India. Sachin Tendulkar, who was till then batting at number 5 or number 6, was for the first time asked to open the innings.
Chasing 142 against New Zealand in Auckland, skipper Mohammed Azharuddin sent a 21-year-old Tendulkar in the absence of regular opener Navjyot Singh Sindhu. According to Tendulkar, he had to beg and plead to his captain (Md Azharuddin) and manager (Ajit Wadekar) to give him a chance to open.
“I thought I could go upfront and take the opposition bowlers on. But I had to beg and plead to please give me a chance. If I fail, I won’t come after you again,” Tendulkar had said.
When he finally got a chance Tendulkar just blazed away to 82 from only 49 balls, an innings which included 15 fours and 2 sixes. The hallmark of the inning was Tendulkar smashing Gavin Larsen for 3 fours and a six in his very first over.
India won the match by 7 wickets and as they say the rest is history.
Zaheer Khan’s Moment of Brilliance
2nd Test, Hamilton, 19–23 December 2002
In an otherwise disastrous tour for India, there were some specks of brilliance from the Indian contingent during the 2002-2003 trip to New Zealand.
India started the tour on a miserable note, losing the first Test in Wellington by a huge margin of 10 wickets. Things deteriorated in the second Test in Hamilton. India lost the Test by 4 wickets and failed to go past 200 in the entire Test series, which they lost 0-2.
India were hardly in control during the Test series and had nothing to celebrate. But for a brief moment on the morning of Day 3, it looked like India would pull things back after they were bowled out for 99 in their first innings.
A young Zaheer Khan rammed into the New Zealand top order to bundle out the hosts for 94 and manage to give India a lead of 5 runs. Using the seamer-friendly condition to his best use, Zaheer finished with figures of 5 for 29.
India failed to capitalise on Zaheer’s brilliance as they slumped to a series defeat.
Destructive Tendulkar & Super Max International
Christchurch, 4 December 2002
The tour of 2002-03 had a special one-off Limited Over International (LOI) with modified rules. The 20-over affair, predecessor to the modern-day T20, had the innings divided into two halves, each half comprising 10 overs and every team getting an opportunity to bat twice, just like in Tests. It was being called the Super Max International.
It was kind of a practice match and didn’t have an official status. But that didn’t prevent Sachin Tendulkar from coming up with one of the most destructive innings of his career – the only reason one remembers the match apart from the modified rules.
New Zealand had won the toss and decided to bat in the experimental match. They did well to score 123/5 in their allotted 10 overs. During India’s first innings, Tendulkar batted as if there was no tomorrow. At an unbelievable strike rate of 266.66, Tendulkar raced to 72 of just 27 balls as the team finished with 133/5.
Apart from 12 fours and 1 six, Tendulkar’s innings also consisted of 2 eights and a twelve, which was basically another innovation where the batsman’s score was doubled if it entered a particular zone called – Max Zone.
India went onto the lose the match by 21 runs and nothing was official about the match but nevertheless, Tendulkar’s innings was worth every penny as the Maestro raised a ‘desert storm’ in New Zealand.
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